Wellesley Public Schools: Fiscal Year 2026 Budget
Special Education Background
Special Education is a federally mandated program for students with disabilities and is regulated through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal law, and Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 28.0. Eligible students, ages 3 – 22, receive specialized educational services that meet the legal standards of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). Each student receiving special education services has an Individual Educational Program (IEP) that identifies the type or types of disability, as well as the type of services and specially designed instruction the individual student requires to make effective progress within the general education curriculum. IEPs are developed through a Team process and become legally binding contracts between the school district and the family. Most Wellesley students requiring special education programs receive their services within their neighborhood schools. Some students, due to the nature and severity of their disability, cannot have their educational needs met within the neighborhood school. These students may attend one of the Wellesley Public Schools’ in-district specialized programs or a Massachusetts-approved special education program outside of the Wellesley Public Schools. Additionally, some students require highly specialized support through personnel and/or materials and equipment to access their education. These students have additional costs associated with their education that can be captured and reported in the budget as student-specific costs. The FY’26 Budget for Student Services is $27,937,705 and represents 29.64% of the total Wellesley Public Schools’ operating budget. The FY’26 Budget is $2,305,129 above the final FY’24 expended amount and $1,455,809 above the FY’25 Adjusted Budget. Overall Statistics: A student can qualify for an IEP at any time during the school year. In developing the FY’26 budget, we use the most recent statistics 1 . These figures may vary slightly from the October 1, 2024, filing with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Currently, there are 751 students who are eligible for special education services. Below is a brief history (October 1 data): Fiscal Year FY’21 FY’22 FY’23 FY’24 FY’25 Eligibility % 17.0% 17.1% 17.3% 17.4% 18.1% Number of Students 773 741 728 725 732 In-District Programming: Developing in-district programs allow resident children to be educated in and among their peers and reduces the overall costs to the taxpayers. Programs may be developed when a cohort of students with similar needs and ages are identified, and available space exists within a building. Over the years, Wellesley has developed a comprehensive continuum of programs and services to serve students. Integrated Pre-School (PAWS) programs meet the needs of both typically developing children, as well as children with IEPs. Special education services for preschool children (ages 3 through 5) are provided free of charge through the public school system. Students not qualifying for services pay tuition based on the number of days and length of days enrolled. In FY’25, there are approximately 36 students on an IEP and 12 students not enrolled but who receive services. (PAWS, Sprague)
1 Data as of November 15, 2024.
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